


Can't Nobody

by kinoface



Category: 2NE1, T-Ara
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-19
Updated: 2012-10-19
Packaged: 2017-11-16 14:41:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/540570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinoface/pseuds/kinoface
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They find her licking her wounds in the forest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can't Nobody

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elfiepike](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elfiepike/gifts).



> For mini-exchange round two!!
> 
> Dear elfiepike: I HOPE YOU LIKE IT LIKE LALALALALA I LIKE YOU!

They find her licking her wounds in the forest. She's naked and hurt, and when she hears them coming from a mile away, she scurries into a patch of dense foliage, hoping foolishly that they won't notice her. They sound terrifying - laughing and whooping and hollering and making all sorts of noise that she was never allowed to, and through the echoes of the forest, she can't even tell how many there are. She wants to scamper away, but with her leg like this, she'll only injure herself further if she tries to run.

As they grow closer, the sounds of howling wolves change slowly into the laughter of women, and then that too fades out as they approach her hiding spot, undoubtedly drawn by the scent of an unfamiliar wolf. She holds her breath until one of them finally pulls back the brush she's hiding under.

There are four of them: three betas crowded around a tiny but obviously powerful alpha, a woman with spikes on her leather jacket and wild blond hair that falls around her shoulders. The alpha asks, "What's your name, little pup?"

"Hwayoung," she says, voice steady despite her wildly thumping heart. She meets the alpha's gaze only long enough to see her smile, exposing sharp teeth, and then she looks away. She doesn't even scowl at the name, even though she knows just from looking at these wolves that if she were to stand at her full height, she'd tower over them all. It would be foolish to fight for dominance here. "Are you going to kill me?" she asks.

One of the betas, the one with the round baby face, gives her a nasty scowl, but there's something playful underneath it. All she says is, "Why would we?"

Hwayoung bites her lip, unsure of how to read the situation. "I'm an omega on your territory..."

"You still smell like other wolves," says the beta with big, sleepy eyes and sunset-red hair piled into a bun on the top of her head.

"She was just ex-communicated," the alpha says, as if she can tell Hwayoung's entire story just by looking at her, and maybe she can. She kneels and reaches out to grip Hwayoung by the chin, firm but gentle, and guides her face into the moonlight, observing the tear-stained cheeks, the scratch on her temple that hasn't yet healed. "You've been running for hours, haven't you, little pup?"

Hwayoung keeps her eyes downcast. "Yes."

Behind the alpha, the smallest beta bursts into motion. She has a pixie face and long hair that's shaved on one side, and she's shrugging out of her leather jacket so that she can kneel beside her alpha and lower it down over Hwayoung's shoulders. Hwayoung is so shocked by the gesture that she grips the jacket lapels without thinking, unable to do anything but stare back up at the girl who's still smiling gleefully at her. "Why would anyone get rid of a cutie like you?" the beta chirps. She turns to her alpha and says, "Can we keep her, boss?"

Hwayoung looks at the alpha, still shocked. _Keep_ her? Some beaten-up stray they've never even seen before?

The alpha straightens up and doesn't look away from Hwayoung even for a moment. She studies Hwayoung - her kneeling, shivering form, her scratched face, her hands clutching the leather jeacket around her shoulders - and then she finally smiles and says, "Well, we can at least try her out."

As if that's all it takes, she turns and starts to walk away, and her betas follow her unquestioningly. Hwayoung stumbles after them, but her intent is not to follow: before she even realizes it, she's _furious_. "Wait," she calls after them. Anger edges into her voice, making her words sound shaky. "What do you mean, _try_ me? I'm not some _thing_ you can just pick up and take with you -"

The others all turn to her and stare, the moonlight catching in their eyes. The baby-faced beta already has her claws out, eyes flashing icy blue, but the alpha just looks at Hwayoung, silent, beckoning her to continue.

"That's what they did," Hwayoung says. The words tumble out of her mouth before she can stop them. "They treated me like that, my -" but she stops, unable to find the right words. She can't call them her pack - that's not what they are anymore.

The alpha doesn't move, doesn't even change her expression. Her voice is hard and impossible to read when she asks, "What did they do to you?"

This time, Hwayoung fights off the urge to look away. Somehow it feels important now to stand tall and speak up. "They just tried me on and then threw me out. They made me feel..." Under the stares of the other wolves, she wishes she could shrink right down into the leaves under her feet, but she braces herself and holds her ground. "They made me feel ugly and unwanted."

The alpha's expression darkens as the betas exchange concerned glances behind her. "Ugly?" the alpha repeats. Hwayoung nods - it's all she can do to keep herself from shrinking back. Why are they all looking at her like that? Did she say something wrong? All of her instincts flare up inside of her, and she prepares to run.

But from behind the alpha, the pixie-faced beta speaks up: "No wolf should be made to feel unwanted."

The redhead chimes in, "All wolves are beautiful and worth loving."

The baby-face scowls, "Except the ones who make others feel like crap."

"Even them," the pixie says. Her tone is scolding, but she's smiling again, and just the sight of it makes Hwayoung feel more at ease.

"How about this, little pup," the alpha says. Suddenly the dark expression is gone, and now she seems jovial - maybe even happy. "Why don't you be the one to try us out?"

Hwayoung blinks. "I don't... what?"

"Come back with us to our den. We'll get you some clothes and food, and you can sleep there until you heal up. After that, you're free to go... but if you want to stay, you're more than welcome."

Hwayoung takes a long moment to think about it. The others had accepted her as well, and that's what led her here. But something in her heart, buried underneath her instinct to fight but still ringing out loud and clear, tells her that this is the right choice.

She clutches the jacket more tightly around her shoulders. "Thank you," she says, stepping forward. "Truly, thank you."

The alpha doesn't say another word, just winks salaciously and turns away, shifting just far enough into her wolf form to run on all fours through the forest, towards what Hwayoung assumes is the direction of their den. The scowly beta follows close behind, and the sleepy one smiles dreamily at Hwayoung before running after them. The smallest beta lingers by Hwayoung's side, watching cheerfully as Hwayoung slips her arms into the jacket sleeves and zips up the front. The beta says, "Don't worry, you'll love hanging out with us. CL is the best." She grins, her eyes twinkling happily in the moonlight. "She takes care of all the misfits."

The beta turns and runs after the others, howling joyously. Hwayoung watches her go and thinks to herself, _Is that what I am now? A misfit?_ Before, there had always been so much pressure to conform - to defer - to follow suit and never step out of line. But these new, strange wolves don't seem that way at all.

Hwayoung leaps and shifts and hits the ground running. She follows that pixie girl's scent, and she decides that if being a misfit means getting to stay with CL and her gang, it must not be so bad.


End file.
